Where was the Chicago Sun-Times in the 1970’s when I introduced a bill to require that all not-for-profit corporations which obtained a majority of its funding from government be subject to the Freedom of Information Act?

The bill garnered a favorable editorial cartoon in the Daily Herald, but no traction in the Illinois General Assembly.

Now with the Illinois High School Association revealing lavish salaries for its executives, the Sun-Times said on June 9th.

“They hide behind a legal fiction, their status as private not-for-profit organizations, though they go deeply into the taxpayer’s pocket, existing directly or indirectly on tax dollars.”

The Sun-Times points to two Chicago non-profits:

• Choose Chicago (the city’s tourism agency)
• Navy Pier, Inc. (which runs Navy Pier)

I’d add

• the Illinois Association of Park District
• the Illinois Association of School Boards
• the Illinois Association of School Administrators
• the Illinois Principals Association
• the Illinois Association of School Business Administrators
• the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling
• the Illinois Community College Trustees Association
• the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents
• the Township Officials of Illinois
• the Illinois Municipal League
• the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts
• the Illinois Association of County Board Members
• the McHenry County Council of Governments
• the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies
• the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police
• the Illinois Association of County Fairs
• the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities
• Pioneer Center
• Rosecrance

Undoubtedly there are dozens more, but you get the idea.

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A past Executive Director of the Illinois High School Association lived on Walkup Avenue. My father ran into him because he was also a trade association executive.